Rear Admiral Peter Brady (front row, second right), director general of the Maritime Authority of Jamaica, poses with the participants who gained certification in the recent Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) Convention Quality Standards Systems Workshop at the Knutsford Court Hotel. - CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS
FIFTEEN CARIBBEAN participants earned certification in the Maritime Authority of Jamaica's (MAJ) Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) Convention Quality Standards Systems workshop held from July 25 to 29.
The workshop was tailored specifically for maritime personnel with direct responsibility for education, training and assessment of seafarers.
The course was conducted by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) as part of its Technical Assistance Programme to the region, and was held at the Knutsford Court Hotel in New Kingston.
GREAT SUCCESS
Rear Admiral Peter Brady, director general of the MAJ, described the workshop as "a great success in serving to upgrade and enhance the skills of maritime personnel with various responsibilities throughout the shipping industry in the region." He explained that the STCW Convention Quality Standards Systems workshop aims to enhance the effectiveness of implementation of Quality Standards Systems required by the STCW Convention. The STCW Convention outlines the minimum standards by which seafarers worldwide are trained, including at the Caribbean Maritime Institute (CMI), Peter Brady noted.
Lieutenant Commander Michael Rodriguez, executive director of the CMI, who trains seafarers from the region, conducted a tour of the institute for participants in the workshop. During the tour, they were shown how the CMI was revamping some of its systems and upgrading facilities to better provide for students.
"We strictly adhere to the requirements of the STCW Convention in our training of seafarers and this workshop will only help us to be better," Rodriguez said.
Through the workshop, participants have updated their knowledge on the principles of quality standards systems within the context of the STCW Convention and enhanced their understanding of the requirements for establishing and monitoring quality standards systems to effectively implement the STCW Convention in their respective countries.
Participants came from government departments, educational institutions and shipping companies of six Caribbean countries: Antigua, Bahamas, Guyana, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago and host country Jamaica.
